Repeater door chimes



Feb. 14, 1961 c. G. RINKER 2,972,138

REPEATER DOOR CHIMES Filed Aug. 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I0

mil I02 96 I00 T 80 I06 L 92 a lil 54 Fig.6

Carl 6. RM ker 60 INVENTOR.

9 Q1 46 BY wa Feb. 14, 1961 c G. RINKER 2,972,133

' REPEATER DOOR CHIMES Filed Aug. 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Carl 6. R/nker INVENTOR.

United I States Patent 9 REPEATER DOOR CHIMES Carl G. Rinker, Swainsboro, Ga., assignon by mesne assignments, to The Philip Carey Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 675,616 3 Claims. (31. 340-392) This invention relates to door chimes, and more particularly to a repeater chime adapted to announce a caller at either of two entrances such as the front or back door of a house by entirely different sounds, thus clearly distinguishing the callers location.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a door chime so arranged as to provide a signal when a caller is actuating a front door switch with a different sounding signal emanating from the door chime when the back door switch is closed.

The construction of this invention features the use of a novel arrangement of parts including separate power circuits for a solenoid which actuates an armature structure for engaging either of two-tone bars. Incorporated directly on the striker is a bridging contact adapted to bridge a pair of resilient contact members in such a manner that when the contact members are bridged, an operative electrical circuit is completed when one of the door switches is closed, the other door switch directly completing the operative electrical circuit to the solenoid coil when closed.

Further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a repeater door chime that is simple in construction, easy to install, and efiicient in operation.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side view of the invention with the cover thereof removed;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 2-2 in Figure 1 illustrating the invention with the cover in place;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail view illustrating the bracket for supporting the solenoid coil as taken along the plane of line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 4-4 in Figure 1 illustrating with particularity the arrangement of the contact springs;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 5--5 in Figure 1 illustrating the invention with the cover in place; and

Figure 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of the various components of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the repeater chime comprising the present invention. This repeater chime includes a base 12 which is adapted to. be attached to any suitable mounting surface through use of mounting holes as at 14, any suitable number thereof being used as desired for properly attaching the repeater chime.

Fired to the base 12 by any suitable means such as screw fasteners, welding, or the like, are an upper resoice nating tube chamber 16 and a lower resonating tube chamber 18. Resilient grommets formed of rubber orlike material, as at 20 and 22, are used for securing an upper tone bar 24 and a lower tone bar 26 to the upper resonating tube chamber and lower resonating tube chamber, respectively.

A bracket of substantially U-shape in vertical cross section, as indicated at 28, is secured to the base 12 by suitable lugs, as at 30, and has a pair of apertures therethrough for receiving the spindle 32 about which there is disposed a solenoid coil 34. Carried by the bracket is a contact plate 36 held in place by suitable tabs as at 38 and 40.

Extending from the bracket and secured thereto, and

thus to the base 12, are a pair of contact springs 44 and- 46 of electrically conductive material and held in place by insulative brackets 50.

Slidable within the spindle 32 and actuated by the solenoid coil 34 is the armature 54 of the solenoid which is in the form of a striker having striker ends 56 and 58 adapted to engage the upper tone bar 24 and the lower tone bar 26 respectively.

The armature 54 also has secured thereto a contact plate 60 arranged to bridge the spring contacts 44 and 46 to complete an operative electrical circuit therebetween.

A cover 64 is provided for the repeater chime and is designed to be secured to the sides of the base 12 by means of detents, as at 66 and 68, which seat in apertures 70 and 72 in the base 12.

Referring now to Figure 6, it will be noted that the repeater door chime is connected to a transformer as at 84) by means of suitable conductors which are connected to terminals 82,84, and 86 mounted on the contact plate 36, which terminals are adapted to be utilized for easily connecting and disconnecting the conductors to the terminals. The conductor 88 is connected to the transformer and to the terminal 86 which is, in turn, connected to the coil 34 and to the terminal 84. Conductor 9%) is connected to one side 92 of a push-button switch 94 such as may be located at the back door of a house, the other side of the push-button switch, as at 96, being connected by a conductor 98 to the terminal 84. A conductor 100 interconnects conductor 90 with one side 102 of a push-button switch 104 which may be located at the front door of a house, the other side 106 thereof being connected through conductor 108 to terminal 82, which is connected by a conductor 110 to the contact spring 46. Conductor 112 interconnects terminal 84 with the contact spring 44.

The operation and closure of the front door push button 104 serves to connect the source of electrical power at the transformer to contact spring 46, and when the contact springs 46 and 44 are bridged by the contact disk 60, an operative electrical circuit through the conductor 112 to the coil 34 is completed. Thus, with the armature 54 resting by gravity in a position with the contact 60 engaging the contact springs 44 and 46, current passing into the coil 34 will be enough to lift the solenoid striker 54 and cause the striker head 56 to strike the tone bar 24. While the energy imparted to the striker armature 54 is sufiicient to cause the striker armature to contact the tone bar 24, after which the sound emitted by the upper tone bar 24 passes through openings 12! in the upper resonating tube chamber 16 and is resonated therein, the armature striker 54 will fall due to gravity so that the lower tone bar 26 is struck, emitting sound which will be resonated in the lower resonating tube chamber 18, the sound passing into the lower resonating tube chamber 18 through opening 122. At this point, the contact disk 60 will engage the contact springs 44 and 46 and if the push-button switch 104 is still closed, the cycle will be repeated.

However, when the push-button switch 94 is closed, an operative electrical circuit through the conductor 98, terminal 34, coil 34, terminal 86 and conductor 88 will be completed to the source'of electrical power at the transformer 80, which will maintain the coil 34 energized and cause the striker 54 to strike only the upper tone bar and remain in the raised position until the pushbutton switch 94 is released.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A repeater door chime comprising a base, a first resonating tube secured to said base and having a first tone bar mounted adjacent thereto, a second resonating tube secured to said base below said first tone bar and having a second tone bar mounted adjacent thereto below said first tone bar, a solenoid coil carried by said base and disposed between said first and second tone bars, a striker mounted in said solenoid coil and electromagnetically displaced to strike said first tone bar and gravity lowered to strike said second tone bar, a pair of contacts carried by said base, a striker supported contact electrically bridging said pair of contacts and mechanically retaining said striker in a rest position between said tone bars with the ends of said striker spaced from said tone bars, a repetitively opened and closed electric circuit for repetitively energizing said coil and including a conductor adapted to be connected with a source of electrical potential and having a switch therein, said conductor connected with one of the contacts of said pair of contacts, a second conductor connected with the other contact of said pair of contacts and connected with one end of said coil, a third conductor connected with the opposite end of said coil and adapted to connect with said source of electrical potential whereby said coil is energized in response to closing of said switch completing the repetitively open and closed circuit through said pair of contacts, said striker supported contact and said coil thereby energizing said coil and displacing said striker to engage said first tone bar and at the same time separating said striker supported contact from said pair of cont-acts thereby opening said repetitively energized circuit and enabling said striker to return to strike said second tone bar and simultaneously return said striker supported contact to a bridging position across the contacts of said pair of contacts.

2. A repeater door chime comprising a base, a first resonating tube secured to said base and having a first tone bar mounted adjacent thereto, a second resonating tube secured to said base below said first tone bar and having a second tone bar mounted adjacent thereto below said first tone bar, a solenoid coil carried by said base and disposed between said first and second tone bars a striker mounted in said solenoid coil and electromagnetically displaced to strike said first tone bar and gravity lowered to strike said second tone bar, a pair of contacts carried by said base, a striker supported contact electrically bridging said pair of contacts and mechanically retaining said striker in a rest position between said tone bars with the ends of said striker spaced from said tone bars, a repetitively opened and closed electric circuit for repetitively energizing said coil and including a conductor adapted to be connected with a source of electrical potential and having a switch therein, said conductor connected with one of the contacts of said pair or" contacts, a second conductor connected with the other contact of said pair of contacts and connected with one end of said coil, a third conductor connected with the opposite end of said coil and adapted to connect with said source of electrical potential whereby said coil is energized in response to closing of said switch completing the repetitively open and closed circuit through said pair of contacts, said striker supported contact and said coil thereby energizing said coil and displacing said striker to engage said first one bar and at the same time separating said striker supported contact from said pair of contacts thereby opening said repetitively energized circuit and enabling said striker to return to strike said second tone bar and simultaneously return said striker supported contact to a bridging position across the contacts of said pair of contacts, a single cycle electric circuit operatively connected with said coil and including a second switch, means for connecting said second switch with said source of potential and with one end of said coil, means connected with said opposite end of said coil and said source of electrical potential so that upon actuation of said second switch said coil is energized to thereby electromagnetically move said striker to a position at which at least one of said tone bars is struck by the striker.

3. The repeater chime of claim 1 wherein said pair of contacts consist of a pair of cantilevered springs which are spaced form each other, and said striker supported. contact is mounted on said striker between said pair of springs and said solenoid coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 749,365 Dey Jan. 12, 1904 2,194,507 Lord et al. Mar. 26, 1940 2,263,051 Rittenhouse Nov. 18, 1941 2,360,666 Fish Oct. 17, 1944 2,391,698 Grohsgal Dec. 25, 1945 2,593,917 Pettit Apr. 22, 1952 2,659,074 Alexander et al. Nov. 10, 1953 

